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ADB to Play Crucial Role in Reconstruction of Afghanistan

TOKYO, JAPAN (21 January 2002) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan, ADB President Tadao Chino said here today. ADB will be working with its member governments to provide assistance in the order of $500 million in highly concessional loans and grants over the first two-and-a-half years of the transitional Kabul administration, Mr. Chino told the International Conference in Tokyo on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan.

"ADB's overarching objective is poverty reduction, and our assistance to Afghanistan must be aimed at reducing poverty," Mr. Chino said. "Our immediate focus will be in three areas - namely, irrigation rehabilitation in agriculture, road reconstruction in infrastructure, and basic education in social services - which are crucial for Afghanistan's reconstruction and poverty reduction."

ADB, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) prepared the joint Preliminary Needs Assessment for Afghanistan's Recovery and Reconstruction which served as the basis for donors pledges and expression of support at today's conference.

ADB is fully committed to doing all it can to secure resources to contribute to the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Mr. Chino said. "Afghanistan is one of the founding members of ADB and we are glad that the day draws near when ADB can once again work with Afghan people for the country's development."

Mr. Chino said that the Afghan people should lead the reconstruction process. "In particular, women have long suffered from social exclusion in Afghanistan and now must be involved in every stage. Their participation is essential for the sustainable social development of Afghanistan," he said.

The ADB president stressed that appropriate policy and institutional frameworks particularly good governance must be put in place to support investment in rehabilitation and reconstruction. "Transparency, participation, accountability and the rule of law are essential to provide good governance, without which effective reconstruction is impossible," he said.

Training and capacity building for local communities and emerging government institutions and providing employment opportunities for vulnerable groups are also important. "Beyond the provision of basic needs for women and children, returning refugees, internally displaced people and the disabled, it is essential that these vulnerable groups in Afghan society be provided with the means and opportunities to help themselves," Mr. Chino said.

The ADB president identified three priority areas for ADB's operations: agriculture, infrastructure and social services. ADB's immediate priorities will be given to the rehabilitation of irrigation systems and roads that can make a major contribution to the national economy while creating employment opportunities for local communities. Within the social areas, all services are in a state of collapse, but first priority needs to be the restoration of basic education including non-formal education.

ADB, together with other institutions, will field sector teams to Afghanistan to conduct site visits for a more detailed, comprehensive needs assessment after the Tokyo conference. This will include consultations with the Afghanistan Interim Administration, Afghan civil society and NGOs, international assistance agencies and other stakeholders. The detailed assessment is due to be completed by the end of April.

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